As Barcelona gear up for a busy summer, one of their priorities is to bring in a new central defender.
For the major part of the season, Nico Schlotterbeck had emerged as one of Barcelona’s main targets for the summer of 2026.
But it appears the Catalans are more than willing to allow Real Madrid to take the lead in the race to sign the German. The club are, instead, eyeing a move for Alessandro Bastoni.
Barcelona are monitoring Bastoni
According to Matteo Moretto, Barcelona are closely monitoring the situation of Bastoni. The Italian international is one of the most highly-rated options for the club as they look to shore up their defensive line next season.
Bastoni’s abilities as a leader and as a left-footed ball-playing centre-back make him an ideal long-term replacement for Inigo Martinez.
However, there are certain conditions attached to the Bastoni pursuit. For one, Inter Milan rate the player quite highly and are not too keen on offloading him.
Bastoni is a clear priority for Barcelona. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
The Italian giants are, in fact, actively trying to tie Bastoni down to a new long-term contract, while his current fee, too, is considered quite expensive for Barcelona.
The player, for his part, wants Barcelona to assure if he is truly part of their plans in the upcoming summer, before he takes a final call on his future at Inter Milan.
Having played at Inter Milan for almost a decade, one would expect the defender to be open to a move elsewhere, and Barcelona, to that end, could be an ideal new adventure.
However, the club’s tricky financial situation, coupled with an inflated salary bill, means they may have to rely on some player sales in the summer in order to even think about signing someone like Bastoni.